The Nagra IV SJ is a very peculiar and rare object: At the time when Nagra was producing rugged, reliable, ..and perfect portable recording machines, Brüel&Kyaer was producing the most reliable, professional..and perfect measure microphones. (Just have a look at last image, the stellar frequency response of the 4135 microphone) The Nagra IV SJ was initially born as a recording machine for acoustic (usually industrial) measures: it had a dedicated input with a special preamplifier for B&K microphones. After a while B&K directors, probably as a result of audiophile pressures, realized that microphones that where the top choice for measures could also be good for music, and so the Nagra IV SJ became the top quality recording machine. After some years B&K left the audiophile field, and in the meanwhile the pressure of the digital era forced Nagra to leave the analogical field and convert to digital. Looking back this was probably a good marketing and cost-saving idea, but not so brilliant from the audiophile point of view: the growing number of bits and of sampling frequency is just a progression toward the ideal of perfect fidelity, and ideal that in the analogical domain is limited only by the signal/noise ratio- that in Nagra’s case was already in excess of the audible level. And also the difference in dynamics that should have been the decisive factor favouring the digital choice did not manifest itself in practice). This has become clear in the audiophile circles, where there’s the hunt for the original tapes as the holy graal of purity, and as a consequence the hunt for the reel to reel machines. We should also add that in the same audiophile circles there’s been much questioning about the now usual recording system, with a lot of microphones and mixing; following the fundamental law of information trasmission they underline that since in every passage you loose information (in this case acoustical information) the best way to record is with the bare minimum of passages, so just two (excellent) microphones and direct recording. In this optic a Nagra IV SJ with a couple of B&K microphones would make a dream recording studio (even more in the live case). (Many years ago I happened to record unofficially a concert of harpsichord and violin by Bach by the best baroque players of the time; one year after I bought the official vinyl: it was like taking out the sun from a photograph of an autumn forest, such was the difference; I give part of the reason to my better microphones, and the other part to the lack of mixing and transcriptions). It should be stressed that a Nagra IV SJ without the B&K microphones would be practically useless for recording purposes. In case it’s used as a reproduction machine it works perfectly with short and middle size reels, with the longer ones it needs a special adapter. a) B&K 1 x condenser microphone 1” 4131 with calibration chart, instructions and connectors 3 x condenser microphones ½” 4148 with calibration chart 3 x consenser microphones ½” 4165 with calibration char 3 x condenser microphones ½” 4133 with calibration chart and connectors 1 x condenser microphone ¼ “ 4135 with calibration chart and connectors 1 x 4140 noise source 1 amplifier 2623 Microphone power supply 2807 for 2 microphones power supply ZG 0113 One complete couple of mounted microphones with a 4148 and a 4165 capsule from the lot 2 instruction manuals, 1 testing protocol b) Nagra Nagra IV SJ with manual, 3 tracks, 4 speeds from 3,81 cm/s to 38,1 cm/s 2x Nagra QSJP adapters for B&K preamps mixer BM with Nagra adapter ATN alimentation secteur with ATN-ATU many cables with connectors leather bag Everything is in in working order with two minor exceptions: a screw in the the back cover of the batteries has lost a stopper; the ATN power unit needs servicing: the machine is now working with the (supplied) batteries. During its life it has suffered no injuries and has been subjected to light duties. Although it's now running, and the heads are in good conditions, since the Nagra has been idle for about 15 years I suggest to do a general cleaning of the interiors and to check the capacitors (the most sensible to age) before putting it to use.